We hear the term “body positivity” all the time on social media, and honestly we’re kinda sick of it. There’s another mantra out there and we are gonna discuss it today. Body neutrality – what is it, how is it different than body positivity, and how do you enact this mantra? Darling meathead, strap in. We got shit to talk about! Disclaimer: we are going to use the word “fat” quite a bit today, keep in mind that the intent is never derogatory, but if that word bothers you…we understand. We love you and will see you next week.

WHAT IS BODY NEUTRALITY?

Per WebMD, body neutrality is “simply the act of taking a neutral stance toward your body – both emotionally and physically.”

1. Okay that’s great, but what does that really mean? It means that you’re not supporting the hatred towards your body’s “limitations” or taking time to love it either. You’re basically just at peace with your skin suit.
   • No matter what size, shape, color, sex, physical ability, or capability – the goal of body neutrality is to help you accept your body as a physical vessel and a small part of who you are, rather than focusing on what it looks like.
   • Body neutrality is cool because it can help address stigma that’s placed on body weight, like too fat or too skinny. It can help you judge yourself, and others, less… and that’s a net positive if you ask me.
2. There’s been a fuckload of data that shows that eating disorders became more prevalent during the pandemic… let’s think about why for a second. What were you doing non-stop while we were on lockdown? Ohhhh you were on social media. Look I’m not going to say that social media is the root of all of our fucking problems, but it’s a large part of most of them.
   • How is this still manifesting years later? Hello, Ozempic. 

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT THAN BODY POSITIVITY?

If you spend any amount of time on social media, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with both body positivity and body neutrality… if you thought they were the same thing, they aren’t. And we are about to explain why.

1. Body positivity is the idea of loving their body regardless of shape, size, color, sex, or ability.
   • Body positivity isn’t a new concept, it’s been around since the 1960s. Body positivity as we know it though started about 25ish years ago when humans started moving online.
     • Cyberbullying and body shaming came to the forefront when humans started interacting online, and that’s when online fat activism was born.
     • To block out the negativity, fat activists and their allies became more visible and vocal to hit back.
2. On the other hand, body neutrality focuses on appreciating what your body can do.
   • I love the part of body neutrality that focuses on how your body functions can help get rid of myths and polarizing messages around physical appearance.
     • Example: being fat does not equal unhealthy, lazy, or undisciplined… or that to appear thin equals being healthy. It’s also an inclusive approach that recognizes all different types of bodies including people with disabilities and trans people.
3. Based on your ability, your body performs several different functions and allows you to live your life through it, body neutrality stresses to give less importance to day-to-day bodily changes that happen naturally over time such as aging, pregnancy, or menopause. I’m not gonna say that body neutrality fights the patriarchy… hahaha yes I am gonna say it, body neutrality fights the patriarchy. Let’s go!

HOW DO YOU ENACT THIS MANTRA IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

Don’t smack me for this, but I’m gonna be candid for a second: I think that body positivity is played out. There’s nothing wrong with loving your body and who you are, but I think that the idea of body positivity being always a constantly flowing river of celebratory happiness and gratitude towards our bodies isn’t realistic.

1. Your body is. That’s it. It’s constantly running to keep you alive, and that’s good enough some days.

2. Let’s put this talk into action. How do you celebrate body neutrality?
   • Let’s talk about some small affirmations for a second:
     • I accept my body as it is.
     • My body helps me in many ways.
     • How can I honor my body today?
     • My body works hard and deserves kindness.
     • I am thankful for my body because it does so much for me.
     • All bodies are different and that’s totally fine.
3. Wear clothing that makes you feel good about your body – this acknowledges that you don’t have to decorate your body. You can wear clothes that help you move, relax, and feel at ease. When your kids see that, they’ll follow your lead.
   • Teach kids to focus on what the body does instead of what it looks like. This can sound like: “Wow your legs run so fast!” or “Your eyes help you to read.”
   • Pay attention to what your kids are following on social media. Consider if the images and messages they’re consuming online are advocating positive body acceptance or not.
   • Don’t stand by when someone is criticizing their body. Be a good role model and demonstrate how to talk about your body either with positive or neutral words.
4. One last snippet from that Time article: “You are not unintelligent, unreasonable, feeble, or misinformed just because you’re struggling with body image. And frankly, rejecting our feelings about our bodies isn’t all that different from rejecting our bodies themselves. If the goal is peace and acceptance, we have to work with and not against ourselves. That means letting go of the idea that self-criticism is irrational and that we should plow over it with forced positivity. Approaching our body image issues with kindness, curiosity, and understanding is key if we’re going to stand any chance of dismantling them.”

At the end of the day, you should appreciate your body for what it does for you every day… which is keeping you alive. That’s pretty fuckin’ awesome, and we wanna celebrate that, so you should too!

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/body-positivity-vs-body-neutrality

https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-is-body-neutrality

https://time.com/6279423/body-positivity-vs-neutrality